The etymological origin of the term monogram is found in Greek. Exactly it must be determined that it is the result of the union of three lexical components:
-The word “monos”, which can be translated as “one” or “alone”.
-The verb “graphein”, which is synonymous with “write” or “record”.
-The suffix “-ma”, which is used to indicate the result of the action.
A monogram is a symbol that, combining letters and/or numbers , is used in logos and stamps as an abbreviation . The components of the monogram are often intertwined to form a unit.
Among the words that can function as synonyms for monogram, we can highlight both letter and number, as well as abbreviation, initial, brand or even seal.
The first monograms were used in the field of religion , representing names such as Jesus , Christ or Mary . Then they began to be used by nobles and monarchs as a signature.
On a religious level, one of the best-known monograms is the one called IHS . It is developed with the Greek letters iota , eta and sigma , linked to the first letters of “Jesus” written in Greek. Over time , different expressions began to be attributed to the monogram, turning it into an acronym: Iesus Hierusalem Salvator (which can be translated as “Jesus Savior of Jerusalem” ), Iesus Hominum Salvator (that is, “Jesus Savior of Men” ), etc
In addition to all of the above, it is interesting to know that coins are considered to be one of the first objects that functioned as monograms. This is something that happened in 350 BC and at that time the first monograms were the names of several Greek cities. Specifically, the coins that they minted had the particularity of including as monograms what were the first two letters of the city in question.
A royal monogram , on the other hand, is formed with the king 's initials and the corresponding ordinal. It is also decorated with the crown . Royal monograms are reflected on official documents and attire of the royal family.
It is considered that these royal monograms began to be used and gained relevance during the 7th and 8th centuries. Kings and princes resorted to them and this custom continued until the Middle Ages, when it also became an action carried out, for example, by bishops.
Likewise, it must be established that for a long time artists used monograms to sign their works. This was a general trend widely used during the Victorian era.
Today, monograms are frequently used by companies as part of their corporate image. Companies such as Yves Saint Laurent , LG and General Electric have opted for monograms as logos, making themselves known through these graphic brands.
The goal of a business monogram is for the observer to instantly recognize the logo and associate it with the entity to which it belongs. This produces a direct identification between the monogram and the corporation.